Thereafter
by Denealle
Summary: I guess we all remember the prank war between Morgan and Reid. Incidentally, Reid's scream is my ring tone. This is a story based on it. And typically, it's a fluffy Morgan/Reid slash.


_**Well, it's really been a long, long time since the last time I wrote. And…boy this feels good. I guess we all remember the prank war between Morgan and Reid. Incidentally, Reid's scream is my ring tone. This is a story based on it. And typically, it's a Morgan/Reid slash. I hope you all like it. By the way, this happens when Emily is still in the team. I liked it best when she was still involved.**_

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Thereafter, they lived happily ever after.

Wait! Wait a second, roll back a little bit.

This story-if you really want to call it one-began just after Special Agent Morgan was blown away by Dr. Reid's revenging scream in the jet. Morgan promised to make Reid pay. And Reid prepared himself for combate. And the whole bureau gambled for the final winner.

But nothing happened afterwards, not even a case to bid Morgan a chance to restart the battle. Yet Reid was very cautious. He checked his desk thoroughly everyday before work and prevented Morgan enjoying the view of him reorganizing his working space as if he was refurnishing.

A few days later, after work Morgan asked Reid to have a drink. Reid was at once alarmed, but he was wrong. Nothing happened. Morgan did nothing, literally. Nothing except sipping his beer and peering at Reid occasionally. He even turned down a beautiful lady who probably would never ask Reid for anything unless she was threatened by some serial killer. Reid was rather confused.

As Reid almost forgot about the whole prank contest thing, for which he had all the restless homicidal psychopaths to thank, Morgan asked him to have a brother-night again after a successfully-solved-and-preciously-ended-cheeringly case. Even after all these weeks, Reid was still slightly alerted as he nodded at Morgan.

Yet again, nothing happened. Actually, something did happen, which Reid could not tell it was bad or good until a very shocking revelation that happened long after. At that moment, Reid did not comprehend why Morgan would think that teaching Reid how to cope with women was a good idea. And without doubt the lesson turned out to be a horrible one. Neither Reid nor the targeted lady could stop frequently darting looks to Morgan basically for the same reason except that Reid we also kind of desperate being alone with a lady. What's worse, Reid could not help but notice the way Morgan looked at him. There was a spectrum of emotions changing in his breathtaking gaze. Reid thought he saw fond, shock, fear, and devastation mix to an unreadable affection that made Reid's heart pound, nearly out of his ribcage. Reid didn't know if he sensed it right, and for the first time he wished what his colleagues said was true about his ignorance for human emotions.

That night Morgan drove him back home in an awkward and miserable silence. After getting off the car, Reid watched Morgan drive away, and he felt Morgan was escaping. From that day on, Reid knew something bad was going on between him and Morgan. Morgan avoided talking to him unless he had to because of the cases. And Reid couldn't bring himself to talk to Morgan even when Morgan did talk to him. Reid found there was a lump in his throat whenever Morgan looked at him, either unintentionally or not. Reid felt devastated.

When Reid thought everyone in the team must have known there was something wrong between the two of them, and that a conversation with Hotch was around the corner. Worst of all, Reid was almost torn apart inside. Then all of a sudden, Morgan seemed to magically get over whatever was going on that prevented him from making contact with his pretty boy. The dark-skinned agent once again became the same old kind brother and the young doctor's anchor. Morgan managed to talk to Reid easily, and even make jokes of Reid, successfully drawing the team to laughter. However, Reid knew there was still something in there looming between them, something that he couldn't recognize. And Reid was too flustered to find out what it was.

A couple of weeks went by, and there came a monthly time when everyone else in the team was driven crazy by the mountains of paperwork except Reid. To avoid vicious jealousy radiating from his colleagues, Reid decided to idle among the offices. And one thing led to another Reid was in Morgan's office, in front of his desk without noticing. Morgan wasn't there. Reid didn't know where he was or when he would come back. As Reid was turning to retreat, something on Morgan's desk caught his eyes. It was Morgan's MP3 player which Reid used to conduct his vengeance. On a whim, Reid found himself holding the small device and the earphones in his ears. Glancing out of the glass and finding no sign of Morgan returning, he clicked 'play' button.

No R&B or Rap or metal coming out as expected, Reid heard himself rambling how MIT students had a history of going nuclear. He jumped hearing himself screaming through the ear buds. Reid automatically threw the player away and was startled again when it thudded on the floor. The earphones tangled around one of the desk legs and were disconnected from the player. Right then Reid's scream was soaring in the room. Reid actually crawled on the floor to stop it, almost penetrating the device with his lean finger. He looked around and slightly relaxed when he made sure Morgan was not returning, and that no one came because of the screaming.

Reid stared down at Morgan's MP3 player in his hand. Threads of chaotic thoughts formed a mess in his head, rolled down his throat, and bumped in his heart. They didn't give Reid any insight, but made him dizzy and hard to breathe, and gave him a heartache. Finally Reid managed to comprehend the situation, and couldn't help but ask himself why the heck he came here in the first place, and why on earth he touched Morgan's ipod. For the first one Reid didn't care to know and for the second, he thought he was just trying to find out if Morgan still kept it. Then consequently, another question pumped into Reid's head.

After a couple of seconds' hesitation, Reid stumbled forward and sat behind Morgan's desk. He found the USB cable in the drawer, connected the ipod to the computer, and started working.

Reid was trying to find out how many times and how often Morgan had listened to this certain piece. Although Reid was never a fan of modern electronics, it doesn't mean he didn't know how to work on them. After a few minutes' labor, Reid dropped his chin at the repetition of the targeted name. it started right after the day when Morgan played it on the jet for the first time, and the number grew massively from the last time they went to that bar. Reid's head was blank when he heard a voice call out his name with surprise.

Reid craned and looked over the screen. Morgan, eyes widened. Reid stood up wobbly as Morgan strode to the desk, saw his ipod, and consequently glanced at the screen. Reid was unable to breathe when he felt Morgan tensed beside him.

"Mor…Morgan," Reid squeezed his voice out of his throat.

Morgan dropped his head in defeat, and took a deep breath. "Out", he muttered and stepped aside. Reid wanted to explain, but nothing came out and he didn't know how, so he fled out.

Reid sat at his desk, petrified, until Emily tapped on his shoulder and told him it was time to go home. Catching his terrified eyes, She looked at him with concern and asked if he was well. Reid nodded stiffly and began to collect his things. Although unconvinced, Emily left with a genuine smile and a gentle tap on his back.

After arriving at home, which Reid didn't remember how, he crushed on the couch and waited, trying to think. He started to recollect the incident in the afternoon when he finally recovered from blankness that was caused by what he had found. At first he could not interpret what he found from Morgan's ipod meant, so he decided to drop it and instead he began to explore his own feelings, his feelings for Morgan.

Reid knew from the beginning that he would fall for the dark-skinned agent. Although he tried his best to prevent it, he was doomed. Sexual orientation never troubled Reid, and whether it was nurture impact or a natural inherence, Reid never minded it, until he met Morgan. Reid even secretly dreamt about a future with Morgan till he knew Morgan's horrid childhood. Afterwards the best Reid wanted was to maintain a life-long friendship. There was no doubt that Morgan regarded him as a dear brother, and that he trusted Morgan with his own life. At some point Reid felt content for what he already had with Morgan. And the prank thing even brought their relationship to a peak. He felt thrilled seeing Morgan carelessly and good-naturedly made fun of him. Ironically, that prank also seemed to change everything. Reid didn't think he did anything wrong to give himself out and make the two of them like this. Then, it must be Morgan.

What about Morgan, then? Why did he keep that in the first place. It seemed reasonable that he was merely amused and saved it as remembrance. But why would he frequent it? Suddenly the memory of them in the bar came back and taunted him. Then he knew, revelation aboard. Morgan liked him. No, more than that. Morgan had been secretly in love with him. But why he never said anything? As soon as this question popped, Reid's subconscious slapped him hard. He had to know the reason even though for human emotions he was clumsy enough to a Guinness record. Just in time, someone knocked the door.

Slowly Reid stood up and glanced at the clock as he approached to the door. It was already 9 o'clock. Reid had no doubt that Morgan came here directly from his office. And of course, it was Morgan outside.

Reid reached the door knob with his trembling fingers. He hesitated to open the door, but being ungainly all his life, Reid yanked to door wide open. Morgan was leaning on the door frame with his head bowed down. It took him eternity to look up in Reid's eye. And before he even parted his lips, Reid pulled him in by his collar. In a split of a second before Reid did that, another revelation dawned upon him. He caught an insight of why Morgan left him tortured by doubt.

When Reid looked Morgan finally in his eyes, he saw love buried beneath guilt and self-accusation. Form the moment Morgan discovered his love for Reid, Morgan had been tormented himself thinking he was perverted and demonic. After all he had been through in his childhood, Morgan couldn't bear the thought of loving a man. Reid felt his heart wrenched knowing that Morgan, after endless fight and struggle, wanted nothing more than their friendship back. And Reid found his inner-self whimpering when he realized that his prank record was the only thing that Morgan could cling to.

Staring into Morgan's widened eyes, Reid blamed himself for popping Morgan's fragile bubble. But on the other hand, a thrill spiraled up his spine when he realized what they might share in the future because he knew. Reid couldn't bring himself to think what he would have missed if he hadn't rummaged Morgan's ipod.

Silently Morgan reached up and held Reid's hands in his, attempting to step back, which summoned Reid back from his reverie. Without a thought Reid followed Morgan forward, stepped on Morgan's feet, got trapped, and landed his lips on Morgan's mouth.

Surely he didn't mean it? But Reid indulged himself in the accident and made it more than just that. He pulled Morgan closer and leaned in, closing his eyes and tilting his head a bit to give Morgan better access. Reid felt Morgan's whole body stiffened. He stayed that way for so long that uncertainty swelled in Reid's heart and he decided to back off. Finally Morgan let go of Reid's hands and grabbed him with one hand on the small of his back, and the other holding his head still. He responded and deepened the kiss. Reid heard himself moaning involuntarily and Morgan doing the same.

After which seemed to be eternity, they broke apart, longing for oxygen. Reid felt his legs jellying and his head spinning. He looked at Morgan and watched him steady with a few deep breaths.

"It wasn't what I came for," Morgan murmured.

"What did you come for, then?" Reid asked in a whisper.

"Your forgiveness," Morgan confessed with his eyes on the floor.

"What?" Reid's brow furrowed.

"What do you think, Reid?" Morgan sighed, frustrated, but managed to continue, "obviously you've figured out why I kept it. And…"

"Why?" Reid snapped.

Morgan looked up abruptly, affronted. Reid winced confronting Morgan like this, but he knew he had to. "Please, tell me. I need you to tell me." There was a plea audible in Reid's tone.

Morgan gazed at him and finally drew a long breath. "I kept it because that's all I have," he trailed off.

Reid sighed and reached out, holding Morgan's hand in his fingers. "Morgan, there nothing forgive. Because I we both want something we did not dare to think we'd have."

Reid watched Morgan started into his eyes, confused and unbelieving, as if Reid said something incoherent. But bit by bit, Morgan's eyes started glinting and his lips curled up to a prefect angle.

There would be a long way to go. They both were sure of that. And it would be the hardest. But Reid was more certain than ever that together they would get over.

Then here it is. Thereafter, they lived happily ever after.

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_**Here it is. How was it? I hope I didn't make our Doctor too sensitive. But ironically, if he is, maybe our ship can be real cannon.**_


End file.
